Fly With Me
by Love-el-ly Joy
Summary: Buffy is feeling a bit reminiscent and wants to patrol somewhere BESIDES the North Sector of the cemetery.  I know you'll all hate me for this, but BRILEY FLUFF!  YAY!  One-shot.


_A/N: Yeah. I'm not even going to explain this. Go read my A/N on Angel Summer Collection. While you're at it, R&R all those stories, too. But I'll explain this one-shot itself. I don't understand why people hate Buffy/Riley so much. I mean, sure, Spuffy was much better. Bangel… I don't know exactly where that lies with me. But Buffy and Riley were adorable, c'mon! I actually enjoyed all of Buffy's relationships, including the one with Parker. I felt like she got what was coming to her - I hated Buffy during Season Four and early Season Five :-]_

_Buffy the Vampire Slayer Summer Collection 2010_

_Number One: Fly With Me_

Buffy and Riley walked through the cemetery on a typical (for them) Thursday night/

"Why do we always patrol in this cemetery?" Buffy wondered aloud.

"We don't. Sometimes we're in the North Sector, sometimes we're in the one on Fourth Street… " Riley replied.

"No, I mean… I used to go everywhere. Dark allies with Faith - wait, that brings back really crappy memories. Forget I told you that - the playground in Sunnydale Park - "

"The playground? That's a little creepy, even for vampires."

"Yeah, well, to quote Giles, that would be why one would choose to slay them."

Riley laughed. "Tell you what, Buffy. Let's go to the park and save some little five-year-olds from the bumpy forehead crowd."

"Fun. Lead the way, Agent Finn."

They started walking, Buffy lost in the sea of memories that talking about old patrol had resurrected. That was the ally where Buffy first talked to Angel. She could still feel the weird but strangely hot blue light shining down on her, making her face sweat. That's where Buffy saved Willow and Xander from a vampire as soon as she got back to Sunnydale from L.A., that time when she was being all mean.

Good times.

Finally they got to the park.

They wound through the paths, figuring that's where most of the vamps would be hiding out, picking off innocent teenage couples out for a moonlit stroll through their harmless little town park. Stupid teenagers. You'd think they'd at least be aware of the drug usage after dark.

Sure enough, a male vampire with pale, sallow skin and long black hair jumped out from behind a tree, lumpy forehead already in place.

Standard kill. Buffy beat him up and then said something sarcastic - "Watch The Cult videos much?" - and then she staked him, dust flying every which way and getting on her clothes and settling in her nose, ears, and open mouth. She sneezed.

"Bless you."

"It's okay. Just a little vamp dust."

They started walking slowly again, Buffy blowing the stuff out of her nose silently.

"It's a shame," Riley said. "That vampire looked exactly like Ian Astbury. Spike looks like Billy Duffy. The two could've teamed up and formed a mock The Cult."

Buffy smiled. "Oh, hey, we're here!" she said.

Buffy went over and sat on one of the swings. It was her old standard "patrol" position for the playground. She was suddenly overcome by a wave of sadness. _That_ was where she had seen Angel talking to Drusilla.

Buffy remembered now how she felt. The confusion and anger. Questioning herself. Wondering if Angel was really the person she thought him to be.

Yet she had still loved him. Her faith in him had held.

"Buffy? What's wrong?" Riley asked.

"Nothing."

"Hey, newsflash: I'm not an idiot, especially when it comes to you. I know when something's up."

Buffy deliberated for a moment. Riley didn't like talking about Angel, but he _did_ like when she was honest with him. In the end, Buffy decided to just tell him the truth.

"Just… thinking about this thing. With Angel. A long time ago."

Riley was silent for a moment, then he came and sat down on the swing beside hers. Then he said, "Buffy, I know that I… well, that Angel was there. In your first three Sunnydale years. Your memories of this place - these places - will always be with him and not me. I can't touch that, and I really don't want to. And I get it."

"But you didn't account for one thing."

Riley looked confused.

"Memories," Buffy continued, "are the past. You are my present and future." Buffy started to move back and forth on the swing, making it go higher. Now fly with me."


End file.
